Man in the Moon

I don't know why it is, but I'm constantly being attracted to moonscapes.  I think it has something to do with the muted light, being able to see contrast, and the serenity of the pieces themselves.  They have been extremely popular, whether they're in a gallery, an art show, or online.  I think one of the main things that has attracted me to these paintings is the nighttime wildlife.  I can picture an owl hooting outside a barn, or a coyote pup running under the moonlight.  The magnetic draw of the moon casts an eerie, mystic quality over a landscape.  This is what I attempt to capture on canvas.  The phrase "once in a blue moon," "moonlight serenade," and "moonstruck" always come to mind when trying to capture the moon's essence.  I could get lost in the creation of moonscapes for hours on end.  It seems like the process is never ending, and I have to force myself to stop without over painting the canvas.  Are there any references to the moon that brings out a feeling in you?

Inspiration?

Inspiration is an odd thing to communicate to another person.  What inspires me is something odd, indifferent, weird, or that has a varied sense of realism.  Monet grew gardens, then painted them.  I love painting gardens, whether or not they have been grown on my property or I've seen them in passing on a trip to the grocery store.  Shapes and contrast pretty much guide what draws my eye to a particular area.  This could be anything from a landscape to a still life.

 Many times for inspiration, I will go through old art magazines and look at different ways that people have portrayed animals, plants, or a varied landscape.  The composition is what means the most to me, so then I take my techniques and talents, and make the piece my own.  Many times just off the top of my head, I will let an emotion take over and create the work.  As I've said before, what I intend to do and the final piece are usually two different things.  Another thing that really guides the things that inspire me is poetry.  If I can visualize it in my mind, I can interpret it and then put it onto canvas.  When creating from the mind's eye, I am able to change and direct the paint to what I'm trying to accomplish.  This is why I favor oils. 


A farm scene, an animal by the side of the road, a cute pet, a single flower with a monarch butterfly landing on it, just a blue sky reflecting in a pond of water or a speeding boat going across a lake inspires me in all different ways.  To you, these are visual images.  To me, I pick up on sounds, touch, and the written word that describes the way these things play out in everyday life.  A description goes a long way in helping me create my art.  I could paint 24/7 without running out of ideas.  You can pull inspiration from anywhere.  Have you ever even thought about what inspires you?

Technology Today

"Seasons"  30"x40" Oil on Canvas (currently for sale)

When I started painting full time back in 2006, I could never have imagined where I am today.  A lot of this is due to modern technology and the connections you can make anywhere in the world.  I've had people from Norway and Italy view my Facebook page.  I could have never imagined that this would ever happen in my lifetime, let alone being a visually impaired artist and getting out into the world via social media.  It amazes me that my images can be seen around the world and sent for submission to galleries, facilities and art shows with the click of a button.  Someone in my position, not being able to drive, looks at this as a definite blessing.

 I love being at art shows in person, but in my situation, travel, transportation and costs are always a factor.  A good part of social media has helped me to eliminate those burdens and function as well as any other sighted artist can.  Not only am I able to share my art on sites like Facebook, but I've reconnected with many people from my past, such as High School friends, and new friends that enjoy my art.  In conjunction with the social media sites, I can also direct people to BlindGuyStudios.com, and have them view art in progress, pieces that are completed, and works that are for sale and in print form.  Yay technology!  I'm constantly looking forward to the future and what this holds for me in pursing my dreams and goals as an artist. 

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Thanks so much for reading!

Floral Frenzy: The Story Behind the Piece

Every painting has somewhat of a story connected to it.  The creation of the piece is very much driven by a memory, an emotion, a link to that image from myself.  I painted Floral Frenzy in approximately 2006.  It was very interesting to me that it started with colors, and the more they blended, the more muted they became.  At the same time, it began to take on a whole new characteristic of it's own.  The petals represented a flower blowing in the warm summer breeze, and trying to entice butterflies or bees to land on them.  It's amazing at the activity you see by watching one flower in the course of an afternoon.  The canvas on this painting was a 30 x 40, and the characteristic of the flower was 3/4 of the canvas.  Even though not brightly colorful, the painting still took on an inherent beauty of its own. 

"Floral Wind"

 



Several times, I had inquiries about this painting at several shows, but never had anyone purchase it until the UW Eye Clinic in Madison was doing a boardroom remodel and decided this would be one of six total purchased for the project.  It is an honor and a privilege to have my paintings associated with this facility.  To me, it's ironic how things come full circle, as UW eye clinic was one of the places since 1985, I had testing done before becoming legally blind. 

To this day, I'm not really sure what variety the flower this is, nor the name of the bush that they grew on.  However, it's things like this that catch my interest and inspires me to put them on canvas.  A moment in time captured forever, and a memory that will not fade. 

You too can have a piece of this memory, as this piece will soon be available on BlindGuyStudios.com as an 8x10 print.  It'll be hand-signed by me, and ready for matting and framing to present in your home. 

Past Reflections

It always amazes me at how fast time passes.  This is the start of 2014, and I remember clear as a bell, still writing "1976."   It's at this time of year, I reflect back on the year and past years, and am amazed at how far I've come. 

This painting is entitled "My Secret Spot." It initially was in memory of my Grandfather, who took me fishing  to many different lakes when I was younger.  It's funny now how after five years of my own father's passing, how much this painting reminds me of him.  It's a vivid memory, taking a boat to a small lake behind his house, going out on a summer's evening and casting the shoreline.  It would take us about two hours to row once around the lake.  It was a time of connection and talking about the days or week's events.  It's hard to capture a feeling on canvas, so this is more or less a frozen part of time that in my mind, connects both  the memory of my father and grandfather in one serene setting.

 In all my paintings, I usually have such a personal connection to them in different ways.  This painting took about three months to complete, because I would continually go back and rework the background and water areas, trying continually to remember what it was like when I was in the boat.  The water splashing against the shore, the occasional fish jumping, and the soft summer breeze blowing in the trees.  Then, out of nowhere, fish on!  And the excitement would start until we got it to the boat and on our stringer.  It's a moment frozen in time, and a memory I'll have forever.  Now I have the memory on canvas.